Releasable driving means for connecting driving and driven members



June 25 1940. w. R. ,REDD 2,205,838

RELEASABLE DRIVING MEANS FOR CONNECTING DRIVING AND DRIVEN MEMBERS Filed Feb. 11, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 REILEASABLE DRIVING MEANS FOR CONNECTING DRIVING AND DRIVEN MEMBERS D D E R R W Filed Feb. 11, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 JIM/WWW? n Patented June 25, 1940 RELEASABLE DRIVING MEANS FOR CON- NEGTING DRIVING AND" DRIVEN DIEM- BERS William Russell Redd, Western Springs, 111., as-

signor to Win. Wrigley Jr. Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application February 11, 1938, Serial No. 190,130

7 Claims. (Cl. 74125.5)

This invention relates to a releasable driving means for connecting a driving member and a driven member. It is of special advantage for use in and is herein illustrated as applied to as to contraction or expansion and the surrounding air temperature and moisture conditions and the like which alfect the length ofv the web, the operation of the control device to eifect the cormechanism for feeding and severing a continuous rection may, and generally does, occur at vary- 6 web bearing in succession equally spaced labels ing intervals of web feed and severance, someor markings to be cut into lengths in such relatimes including. widely varying numbers of labels tion to such labels or markings, that when severed in successive intervals. wrapped about the packages for which they are The object of the invention is to provide a re- 10 designed, the labels or markings will be disposed leasable driving means for connecting a driv- 10 in proper register with the faces of the package ing member and a driven member which is of upon which they are designed to appear, notsimple and economical construction and which withstanding slip or variation in the web. is readily and easily operated to permit a mo- Mechanism of the kind is well known in the mentary lag of the driven member as and when art. It includes various control devices by which determined by any suitable control member. 15 l the web-severing means is brought into opera- The objects and advantages of the invention tion in predetermined web length relation to a will appear more fully as I proceed with the central control point in the path of travel of specification. the web approximating or equaling the length of In the drawings:

0 the labels or the distances between markings on Fig. l is a diagrammatic view, partly in secsaid web. A control member, auxiliary or dition, of an apparatus embodying one form of rect, associated with said control point in the the invention. path of the web, is operated upon by means on Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the feed and gripthe web as it passes said control point, to affect per and cutting rolls on an enlarged scale.

the feed of the web beyond said control point Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, on a 25 to the position of the severing means. still larger scale, of an escapement mechanism Said control device may be actuated by meassociated with the feed rolls, in a vertical plane chanical engagement with the web or by light indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. reflection or transmission from or through the Fig. 4 is a sectional view in a plane indicated web cast upon a light sensitive device, as a photoby the line l-4 of Fig. 3. 30 electric cell, selenium cell or the like, or it may Fig. 5 is a like view with the parts shown in be a combination of the two. The control dea different relation. vice is in circuit with electric conductors 0011- Fig. 6 shows a perspective View of the parts nected to an electro-magnet or motor which afincluded in Fig. 3 as they appear in disassemfects directly or indirectly the feed of the web. bled relation. 35 In some cases the intermittent feed of the web Referring now to that embodiment of the inis accurately predetermined and exact for each vention illustrated in the drawings:--lll indiweb l n th s v r so that, for example, in th cates a web of any suitable material adapted for case of a web bearing labels, each severed label packages of predetermined dimensions, and

40 length wh hhout h bearing printed matter or other markings placed 40 which it is designed, w1ll be d1sposed in exact symmetrically upon successive, equal lengths inregister with the faces of the package- In other to which the web is to be severed. Said web is cases, the control permlts a certa n tolerance of f d in the usual manner in the direction of the web underor over-feed, WhlCh is corrected at arrows in Fig 1 from avmagazme r01] (not predetermmed 1nte r"a]s: shown). H and I2 indicate, respectively, upper 45 9 mechamsl? t i? ?g whlcg and lower draft or feed rolls by means of which w tion as to the intervals or as to the number of and M d g fg h i and sever labels severed before correction is made. The 5 rolls the r01 h he j or blajde 50 control in this case depends entirely upun a I3 and the roll l4 having a recess I4 to receive determined aggregate of a minimum overfeed the blade |3 when it acts to sever the web. As for each feeding operation before the permissible Shown, e 011 15 deslgned to make two rel/0' tolerance is exceeded, when correction is made. lutions to One of the T011 h case the T011 '55 On account of the varying conditions of the w b is provided with an additional blade in the seat sections of the web are to be delivered. As shown in Fig. 2, the shaft of the lower gripper roll l thas fixed to it a sprocket wheel It which is connected by a sprocket chain 55 to a sprocket wheel I2 on the shaft of the lower feed roll i2. other end of the shaft of the lower gripper roll M is fixed a power-driven gear' l l which engages a gear i3 on the shaft of the grippersevering roll it.

So far the mechanism is old. In this case, however, the sprocket wheel l2 is not fixedly'conhectedto the shaft of. the lower feed roll l2 as heretofore. It is indirectly connected thereto as will now be described. And in addition, the feed roll i2 is of such diameter that its circumference isof a predetermined small amount in excess of the length of the labels or of the distance between the markings on the web Ill. Thus each rotation of the feed roll l2 produces an over-feed of the web slightly in excess. of the length of the labels. or of the distance between markings on said web.

Referring more specifically to Figs. 2 and 3,.

' il indicates the shaft of the lower feed roll i2 ashaft ll, with an interposed bushing Il at its endin proximity to the sprocket wheel I2 which drives it, and IS, a frame member in which it has rotative bearing. 2! indicates a crank shaft coaxial with and spaced longitudinally from the end of the shaft ll. Said crank shaft, as shown in Fig. 2, is non-rotatively connected to the armature shaft 2390f an electric motor 23 The electric motor.

by .a connecting member 22. 23 is mounted on bracket arms 23 'fixed to and extending from the frame member it, with the armature shaft 23 of said motor in coaxial alignment with the crank shaft 2i and the shaft if. of the. feed. roll f2.

26 indicates an internal escapement ring gear located in a plane between and concentric with theshaftll and the crank shaft 2!. Said escape- .ment gear is fixed between opposed, disc-like i housingmembers 2t, E l-the one, 29, rotatively mounted on the shaft l1, and the other, 24, rotative on the crank shaft 2|. The housing member 2E] has a hub 19 providing its bearing on the The housing member 26 has a hub 24 providing bearing of the crank shaft 2|, with an interposed bushing Zi The housing member 28 has fixed to its hub l9 the sprocket wheel I2 by a radial eo shoulder le In the plane of the internal escapement ring gear 25 is located an escapement bar 3!, which is reciprocable diametrically as to said escapement gear, and has teeth 3W, 3| at its ends for engagement therewith. (See Figs. 3, 4 and 5.) 32 indicates a bearingv member having a groove 32 (as more clearly shown in 6) in which said escapement bar is reciprocable. The bearing member 32 has a laterally extending stud 33 coaxial with the shaft ll of the feed roll 12, said stud being'engaged in a recess in the end of said shaft ll and non-rotatively connected thereto by a lag screw 34 and interlocking key members H (See Fig. 6.)

As more clearly shown in Fig. 6, the escape- At the ment bar 3! is provided with a longitudinal recess 31 which is closed on its open side by the bottom wall of the groove 32 of the bearing member 32 to provide a housing for an expansion coil spring 3l located therein. A lug 32 at one end of the bearing groove 32 engages an end of said coil spring, thus yieldingly holding the tooth M at the far end of said escapement bar 3!, as shown in Fig. 4, in engagement with the escapement ring gear 26. On its side adjacent to the crank shaft 2|, the said far end of the escapement bar 3| is connected by a pin 29 and a pitman 33 to said crank shaft.

With the parts as above described, and with the field of the electric motor 23 not energized, it is obvious that power applied to drive the sprocket wheel 12* will drive the housing composed of the members 28 and 24 with the escapement gear 26 gripped between them, the escapement bar 3! engaged therewith, and its bearing member 32 fixed to the shaft ll of the feed roll l2. Thus said feed roll will be driven to feed the web ill, with the crank shaft 2! and the armature shaft 23% of the electric motor 23 rotating idly with the shaft [1. As the crank shaft 2! is driven by the escapement gear 23 and the escapement bar 3!, it is obvious that there will be a slight advance in said crank shaft which will result in its having an off-center position with respect to said escapement bar as shown in Fig. 4.

If the crank shaft 2! be rotated through a small angle relatively to and in the direction of the rotation of the escapement gear 26 as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 4 and 5, said crank shaft will act through the pitman 3i? to reciprocate the escapement bar 3! longitudinally against the action of the expansion coil spring to disengage the tooth tl from its engagement with the escapement gear 26 and to bring the tooth 3| b at the other end of said bar into engagement with said escapement gear as shown in Fig. 5. Upon discontinuance of the mom ntary impelling force which caused relative rotative movement of the crank shaft 2|, the escapement bar 3i will be returned, by the expansion spring 3 E to restore the pitman 3il'and the crank shaft 2! to first position, the tooth 3! being disengaged from escapement gear 26, and the tooth fil being reengaged with the next tooth of the escapement gear 255 back of the tooth previously engaged. As a result, there is a momentary lag in the rotation of the shaft H and of the feed roll :2.

The electric motor 23 is designed to impart the aforesaid momentary impulse by speeding up the rotation of the crank shaft 2! to relatively rotate it through the angle required to operate the escapement bar as above described. The energizing of the field of said motor to impart said impulse is brought about by a control now to be described. It is shown diagrammatically in Fig. l.

35 indicates a control unit of familiar construction. It includes a light-projecting device 36 adapted to project a light ray at a certain point 3? of the feed roll l2 upon the label or mark-bearing web Ill as it passes about said feed roll. 38 indicates a light sensitive device, as a photoelectric cell, with associated amplifying means and electric conductors 38 33 in a relay circuit disposed to be affected by the light refiected from the web at thepoint 3? in a familiar manner. 39, 1-!) indicate electric mains connected to the field of the electric motor 23. A relay interposed in the relay circuit is conelectric cell. Said relay is adapted to close a normally open switch 4 l interposed in the main 39 connected to the field of the electric motor 23.

42 indicates a timer (see Figs. 1 and 2) mounted upon the shaft of the knife-bearing roll l3, and thus driven in synchronism with the gripping and cutting rolls. Said timer includes a rotor associated with suitable contacts interposed in the relay circuit and constituting a make-andbreak switch 53. Each time the end of a label or marking on the web ill passes the point 31 on the feed roll l2, the reflected light tends to affect the control device 38, but obviously no electric impulse may be imparted to the field of the motor 23 unless such reflection occurs in conjunction with the closing of the timer-operated switch 43. Then and then only will the relay close the switch il in the main circuit.

As I have shown, the length of web fed in each case is a small fraction in excess of the actual length of a label or distance between markings on the web. As a result, the lack of registration of the web lengths severed, with the labels or markings thereon, will increase more and more with each successive web length fed. After two or more labels have been severed, the lack of registration will reach an amount beyond which it is inadvisable to go. This amount represents the permitted tolerance, and is measured by the aggregate of overfeed for the number of labels fed before said tolerance is reached.

The timer switch 43 is set to operate in advance of the point 3? on the feed roll I2 by a distance measured on the Web equal to the amount of said tolerance. As the overfeed of the web continues and aggregates, the advanced relation of the timer switch &3 to said point 3'! diminishes for each successive feed of the Web. When the predetermined tolerance has been absorbed, the timer switch d3 will close at the same time that the end of a label or marking on the web If interrupts the light to affect the control device 38, thus closing the relay circuit and causing the relay 4! to close the main circuit to the field of the electric motor. Thereupon the crank arm 2i is speeded. up to operate the escapement bar to slip a tooth of the escapement gear 26 and engage the next one back of it, thereby momentarily retarding the feed roll 82 as heretofore described. The advance of the operation of the switch 43 with reference to the point 37 on the feed roll is thus restored, and the cycle is repeated. The number of labels severed before the limit of tolerance is reached may vary widely in different cycles.

While in describing the invention I have referred to many details of construction and of arrangement of parts, it is to be understood that the invention is in no way limited thereto, except as may be pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A releasable driving means for connecting a housing and a feed roll comprising a gear and a diametrically reciprocable bar associated therewith, said gear having angular radial teeth and said bar having like teeth at each end, one of which is normally engaged in said gear and the other normally disengaged therefrom, a bearing member providing a recess for the reciprocation of said bar, said bearing member being mounted in said housing, being concentric with said feed roll and being connected to said feed roll, and means for reciprocating said bar to cause it to slip a tooth on said gear and permit a momentary lag of said feed roll.

2. A releasable driving means for connecting a driving member and a driven member comprising a gear and a diametrically reciprocable bar associated therewith, said gear having angular radial teeth and said bar having like teeth at each end, one of which is normally engaged in said gear and the other normally disengaged therefrom, a bearing member providing a recess for the reciprocation of said bar, a spring in said recess reacting between said bar and said bearing member to hold said bar engaged with said gear at one end, and means for reciprocating said bar to cause it to slip a tooth on said gear and permit a momentary lag of said driven member.

3. A releasable driving means for connecting a housing and a roll to be driven thereby, comprising a gear and a diametrically reciprocable bar associated therewith, said gear having angular radial internal teeth and said bar having like teeth at each end, one of which is normally engaged in said gear and the other normally disengaged therefrom, a bearing member providing a recess for the reciprocation of said bar, said bearing member being mounted in said housing concentrically with said feed roll and being rigidly connected to said feed roll, and means for reciprocating said bar to cause it to slip a tooth to permit a momentary lag of said feed roll.

4. A releasable driving means for connecting a housing and a rotative member driven thereby, comprising an internal escapement gear having angular radial teeth fixed in said housing and coaxial with said driven rotative member, a spring-actuated escapement bar having like radial teeth at its ends reciprocable in said housing and normally engaging said escapement gear, a bearing member providing a recess for the reciprocation of said escapement bar, said bearing member being mounted in said housing concentrically with said driven rotative member and being rigidly connected thereto, a crank shaft rotatively mounted in said housing, means connecting said crank shaft to said escapement bar, and means for actuating said crank shaft for reciprocating said escapement bar to cause it to slip a tooth to permit a momentary lag of said rotative driven member.

5. A releasable driving means for connecting a housing and a rotative member driven thereby, comprising an internal escapement gear having angular radial teeth in said housing and coaxial with said driven rotative member, an escapement bar having like radial teeth at its ends reciprocable in said housing and normally engaging said escapement gear, a bearing member providing a recess for the reciprocation of said escapement bar, said bearing member being mounted in said housing concentrically with said driven rotative member and being rigidly connected thereto, a spring housed in said escapement bar and reacting between said bar and said bearing member to hold said bar engaged with said gear at one end, a crank shaft rotatively mounted in said housing and connectedlto said escapement bar, and means for actuating said crank shaft for reciprocating said escapement bar to cause it to slip a tooth to permit a momentary lag of said rotative driven member.

6. A releasable driving means for connecting a driving member and a driven member, comprising a gear and a diametrically reciprocable bar associated therewith, said gear having angular radial teeth and said bar having like teeth at each end, one end of said bar being normally engaged with said gear and. the other end of said bar being normally disengaged from said gear, and means for reciprocating said bar to cause it to slip a tooth on said gear and permit a momentary lag of said driven member.

7. A releasable driving means for connecting a driving member and a driven member, comprising a gear and a diametrically reciprocable spring-actuated bar associated therewith, said gear having angular radial teeth and said bar having like teeth at each end, one end of said bar being normally engaged with said gear and the other end of said bar being normally disengaged from said gear, means for reciprocating said bar, and a control member for actuating said reciprocating means to cause said bar to slip a tooth on said gear and permit a momentary lag of said driven member.

WILLIAM RUSSELL REDD. 

